UCSD would drive up to Los Angeles to face off against UCLA who had just come off a huge tournament victory in San Luis Obispo at the Regional tournament. The Tritons were expecting a strong opponent, as they knew the Bruins would utilize this as an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming National tournament.         

The game was underway and the Tritons started off by swinging the ball around, trying to maintain possession. They wanted to give the impression that their previous results had been flukes and that they could turn their season around. However, for the first ten minutes they failed to do so, as the Bruins would find themselves up 3-0 early on. This left the Tritons extremely stunned and unsure of what to do or how to even stop this annihilation. However, soon after, the Tritons finally settled in and quickly created several opportunities to fight their way back into the game. Set pieces were becoming very important as players were connecting on corner kicks, and this ultimately led to a strike from Vismay Manoj, which resulted in a rebound where David Contreras would simply add the final touch to put the game 3-1. The spirits were up now and the Bruins seemed to have taken their foot off the gas pedal. Now it was the Tritons who were dominating with shots left and right; the Bruins now looking stunned. It didn’t take long for Vismay Manoj to fire another strike, which he slotted into the goal. With the score now 3-2, it seemed like the game was back underway, and the Tritons knew that they needed this victory. The half 3-2 with the Tritons missing several opportunities that could have leveled the score.

The second half began the same way the first half ended. UCSD continued to perform and put UCLA on their heels. UCLA would attempt to utilize their counter-attacks, but they weren’t enough as UCSD’s defense was playing incredible in the second half. The Bruins had a small number of chances to extend their lead, but it was ultimately the backline who continued to come out victorious in their individual battles. On the other end, the frontline was struggling to get good shots off, the opportunities were there but the end product was lacking. This was what ultimately led to the game ending 3-2 in favor of the Bruins. The Tritons demonstrated their level after they conceded the 3 goals, but it simply was not enough. Now they will look forward and work to come back stronger in January for their next league game.